Scotland: Application of Bills

The Earl of Mar and Kellie: asked the Leader of the House:
	Which of the Bills mentioned in the gracious Speech made on 17 May have significant implications for Scotland.

Baroness Amos: A note summarising the likely application to Scotland of Bills announced on 17 May has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, as referred to in the Written Ministerial Statement made by my noble friend Lord Evans of Temple Guiting, on 19 May (WS 6).

House of Lords: Select Committees

Lord Norton of Louth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to reduce the period of time within which they reply to reports of Select Committees in the House of Lords, other than those of the European Union Committee.

Baroness Amos: There are no such plans.

Sudan: Arrests

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information they have about the arrest of Sudanese human rights activists, Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Mr Yasir Saleem and Mr Abdallah Taha in Khartoum on Sunday 8 May; and what representations they will make to the government of Sudan on their behalf.

Lord Triesman: Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, a prominent Sudanese human rights activist, was detained in Khartoum on 8 May along with two colleagues, Mr Yasir Saleem and Mr Abdallah Taha. Mr Abdallah was released without charge on 11 May. Dr Mudawi and Mr Yasir were subsequently charged under articles 53 (Espionage against the Country) and 57 (Entering and Photographing Military Areas and Works). Mr Yasir was released unharmed on 12 May. Dr Mudawi was released unharmed on 17 May.
	Our embassy in Khartoum raised this case with the acting Foreign Minister on 10 May and on 14 May. We also supported representations made by the local EU Presidency on this matter. I will continue to pay close attention to this case.

Parliamentary Elections: Death of a Candidate

Lord Norton of Louth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to amend law providing for the postponing of the poll when a candidate in a parliamentary election dies.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Government have no plans to amend the law, which currently provides for 28 days to pass after the death of a candidate before the proceedings for the election can be commenced afresh.

Haemophilia: Recombinant Treatment

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect recombinant treatment to be available for haemophilia patients throughout England; and to how many such patients it is currently unavailable.

Lord Warner: This is the third and final year of the recombinant roll-out programme. All haemophilia patients in England are eligible for treatment with recombinant products in this financial year. Data on the roll-out are collected by the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organisation. However, figures are not yet available on the first quarter of this financial year.

Haemophilia: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their latest information on the number of patients with haemophilia whose National Health Service treatment could have involved the use of blood from donors now known to have had variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Lord Warner: The United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organisation is currently collecting information on the number of haemophilia patients considered to be at risk. When this exercise has been completed we will be in a position to provide an estimate on the number of haemophilia patients who have been exposed to plasma products which may be implicated with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Bird Influenza

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Warner on 14 March (WA 120–121) concerning the statement by Doctor Shigeru Omi of the World Health Organisation in February about bird influenza, how many of the purchased 14.6 million courses of antiviral drugs announced by the Department of Health on 1 March are now available for use.

Lord Warner: The United Kingdom Government have ordered 14.6 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs and have been in discussion with the manufacturers to ensure that they are delivered as quickly as possible. We already have 100,000 courses of antiviral drugs and there are supplies in the National Health Service. Delivery of the stockpile will commence later this year and will be completed after an 18-month period.

Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Warner on 2 December 2004 (WA 20), whether they will give details of the independent fund which pays for new schemes to address alcohol misuse.

Lord Warner: The way forward for the independent fund, which pays for new schemes to address alcohol misuse as set out in the voluntary social responsibility scheme for drinks producers, is currently being finalised by the Department of Health and the Home Office. There are no further details at this stage.

Crossrail Bill

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they require a financial case to be provided before they agree to follow hybrid Bill procedures for a new railway scheme.

Lord Davies of Oldham: A rigorous examination of the Crossrail business case was carried out as part of the Montague review, the results of which were published in July 2004. It was on the basis of the result of that review that Ministers announced their decision to take forward Crossrail by means of a hybrid bill.

Bus Lanes

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 14 September 2004 (WA 185) and 6 October 2003 (WA 6) and Lord Macdonald of Tradeston on 20 June 2002 (WA 105), when they will issue the necessary orders for the camera enforcement of bus lanes outside London.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Our current plan is that the regulations and order, which will be made jointly by the Secretary of State for Transport and the Lord Chancellor, will come into force this summer.

EU Presidency: Transport Agenda

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What particular transport issues they intend to pursue during their forthcoming Presidency of the European Union.

Lord Davies of Oldham: I refer my noble friend to the document entitled Draft Operational Programme of the Council for 2005 Submitted by the Incoming Luxembourg and UK Presidencies, issued as document 15503/04 on 2 December 2004 by the Council Secretariat. The specific Transport Council agenda for the UK Presidency will become clearer at the end of the current Presidency.

Road Journey Times

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How average journey times by road have changed since 1998.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Transport conducts surveys of average traffic speeds on trunk roads and on roads in large urban areas. The results from these surveys are published in terms of average traffic speeds rather than average journey times.
	The last three surveys of average traffic speeds on the English trunk road network show the following results by road type.
	
		Average Traffic Speeds between 1998, 2001 and 2003 by Road Type
		
			   1998 2001 2003 
			 mph 
			 Motorways am peak 52.3 55.0 55.7 
			  Off-peak 62.6 60.8 63.6 
			  pm peak 56.2 59.7 57.9 
			  
			 A roads—all am peak 41.3 43.7 44.7 
			  Off-peak 45.5 46.0 47.3 
			  pm peak 43.3 44.3 45.0 
			  
			 All trunk roads am peak 46.8 49.4 50.2 
			  Off-peak 53.6 53.3 55.2 
			  pm peak 49.7 51.8 51.3 
		
	
	Note: These estimated average speeds relate to only parts of network covered in all three surveys.
	The results from the latest surveys of average traffic speeds in English urban areas showed the following results.
	
		Average traffic speeds between 1999–2000 and 2002 in English urban areas
		
			  1999–2000 2002 
			   mph 
			 Peak 21.7 21.2 
			 Off-Peak 25.8 25.9 
		
	
	These statistics have been published in Traffic Speeds on English Trunk Roads: 2003, reference SB (04) 24 and Traffic Speeds in English Urban Areas: 2002, reference SB (03) 18 which are available in the Library of the House.
	Note: The 2004 urban survey of traffic speeds in English urban areas is due to be published shortly.

Strategic Rail Authority: Freight Competition

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 6 December 2001 (WA 153), what was the outcome of the Strategic Rail Authority's "Innovative Solutions in Rail Based Logistics" competition.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The three winners of the "Innovative Solutions in Rail-Based Logistics" competition were:
	Blue Circle Industries which was awarded £2.9 million to run a two-year trial to demonstrate the use of a piggyback concept for secondary distribution of cement products into congested urban areas, using a rail wagon for carriage of an inter-modal road tanker;
	Exel which was awarded £2.1 million for technical development of the trains to enable a full commercial trial of train services involving door-to-door unit delivery for existing general freight customers; and
	Minimodal which was awarded £1.01 million for development of a high-speed flat rail wagon and new mini-containers.

Haiti

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Haiti has or will soon qualify for debt relief, in view of level of poverty and lack of equality.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Haiti is potentially eligible to receive debt relief under Evian terms from the Paris Club if this is required to bring its debt burden down to a sustainable level. As an IDA-only country, Haiti may also be eligible to receive comprehensive debt relief under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are currently conducting a review of country eligibility based on the debt situation as of the end of 2004. The results are due to be made public in the HIPC status of implementation report to be published this autumn.
	The UK is also proposing 100 per cent relief on the debt owed by poor countries to the World Bank, African Development Bank and IMF. We are leading the way by paying our share of debt payments owed to the World Bank and African Development Bank and are calling for better use of IMF gold to fund its debt relief costs.
	Eligible countries include all post-completion point HIPCs, and all other low income IDA-only countries with suitably robust public expenditure management systems to ensure the savings are directed towards poverty reduction. The current proxy for this is whether the country is receiving direct poverty-reduction budgetary support from the World Bank through the poverty reduction support credit (PRSC). As an IDA-only country, Haiti is potentially eligible for assistance under this initiative, and will be able to benefit after it receives support in this form from the World Bank.